Backplane connector, as the name implies, are electrical connectors mounted on a backplane of an electrical apparatus and typically are receptacle type connectors defining a socket for receiving a board mounted plug-in type connector. These connectors are designed to be board to board connectors and are equipped with necessary hardware to provide physical latching and holding of the boards in place.
Frequently, it is necessary to provide interconnections between backplanes which is best accomplished with a wire harness having at least one end terminated in a plug-in connector, such as a mini-coax connector, which can mate with an existing backplane connector, however, neither the backplane connector nor the mini-coax connector have any latching means to physically latch the mini-coax connector to keep it in engagement with the backplane connector.
Retention of the plug-in mini-coax connector depends on the frictional interference developed between the electrical contacts of the two connectors.
Although such connectors usually are mated for long periods of time, the mating connectors cannot be permanently secured to the backplane connectors because of the interchangeability, replacement or repair of the mating connectors. The mated connectors remain interengaged under varying environmental situations. For instance, the mated connectors may be subject to vibrations, thermal cycling and other undesirable relative movement which may cause the mated connectors to become loosened and, in some situations, actually disconnected.
These miniature connector systems involving a backplane connector and a mating connector, such as for use with mini-coaxial cables, have no latching means to retain the connectors in mated condition. The connectors and their terminating components are very small, and it is very expensive to provide latching means therebetween by modification of backplane connectors. As a result, there are countless such connector systems presently in use which have no latching devices between the connectors and which continuously cause problems under varying environmental conditions, such as in vibration environments or under conditions of thermal cycling which can loosen the connector interengagement.
This invention is directed to a latching system which is independent of the mating connectors themselves and which, although quite useful for original installation with such miniaturized connectors, is very useful as a retrofitting system to maintain mating connectors in proper mating condition with backplane connectors.